Thursdalies - May 16th

Anyone and everyone can post your runs, cross-training, abdominal work, rest days, race plans, training questions, etc. Hopefully the Dailies will be a terrific source of motivation for runners and serve as outstanding accountability. This group can be highly supportive of all life experiences. So, come on in, put your feet up and stay awhile, but don't forget to run, too. And whoever is up first is welcome to start the thread.

I suggest the above paragraph be copied and posted as the start for every Dailies thread, then whoever starts the thread would post the first response.

Rest day today. Very tired from yesterday's run, so I at most I may take a short, leisurely walk.

We've already touched on running in the heat in a previous thread, but yesterday's post by ddrum triggered a related thought. With summer temps coming (and in some places have already arrived) and many of you planning to run 5Ks in June and July, heat acclimation is important. To extend that a little, doing some running in the type of weather and on the type of course your race will have is very helpful. If you expect warm weather, do some of your running in warm weather. If your race will have hills, try to incorporate some hills on your runs. If your race is on roads, get used to running on roads, ditto trails. This is especially important for those of you running on TMs. The shift from TM to road can be very difficult for some. At the least it is different and may affect not only pace, but stride and even form.

Good morning wcrunner and all to follow. I really enjoyed reading about all your goals. It struck me that these were very good goals... both in that they were attainable and also in that they were easily measured (like "32 minutes" or "20 times" instead of "a lot"). Awesome.

QOTD (Question Of The Day) - Do you drive to exercise or do you just walk out the door and go? Why?

NOTE: I'm seeing lots of adjustments yet you're all still getting it done. That's AWESOME! Many have a very hard time adjusting for conditions (e.g. heat) or the state of their body (feeling a bit worn out, muscle stress, etc.). Being able to adjust for your conditions is a fantastic habit and you all are doing that very well. I'm impressed.

wcrunner - While soda is not my issue, I need better sleep... I'm constantly missing some and need to be resolved to get to bed on time. It's a real battle for me, but my life will be better with more sleep.

MelissaL - 90 degrees... wow.

Finnatic - Taking an unplanned rest day is sometimes a great thing to do. Again, the adjustment sounds fitting.

TaraPayne - Goals are great, until they cause you to overdo it or give up. Sometimes they are too aggressive (especially set by a person who is attracted to running... we tend to be aggressive and set very aggressive goals). Your adjustment to 17 minutes was likely just the right thing to do. Congratulate yourself because you GOT OUT THERE AND DID IT... and did NOT OVERDO IT... not because some aggressive goal was not met.

ddrum - Great adjustment for the conditions. That is very hot. I always have to slow down in temps that high. I try to go in the morning to avoid it, but when I can't, I take it very slow.

Good morning It's a beautiful morning here. Makes sitting at the desk tough! Hopefully the rain holds off until after lunch. I'm feeling the itch to give it another shot out there. Since I run during my lunch hour, going out into the rain isn't really much of an option. There's only so much "help" you can stuff into a gym bag in an attempt to not look like a hot mess all afternoon in the office. (I try to schedule all of my important meetings in the morning just in case!)

It's good advice about training in different conditions and being able to adjust to them. As much as I wished it were a slightly breezy sunny and 70 year round here, my race is in July and it's probably going to be in the 80-90s and humid. Just the thought of it makes me sweat. I run midday during the week, so I'm bound to catch some of that type of weather soon. My challenge is going to be finding the balance between doing the best I can in the conditions and pushing myself further than I can (or maybe should) go for the sake of getting the job done.

I read through all the goals last night too and was pretty impressed. I think they ARE attainable if we keep doing what we're doing.

QOTD: I actually have to drive somewhere to run. At work, there's a walking loop around our buildings through the parking lot that many people use, but I'm not comfortable with my coworkers watching me huff and puff my way around the parking lot, and really that doesn't sound relaxing to me to run between the cars. I actually drive about 2 miles to a park. There are several paths and different routes, it's a peaceful place and not busy at all. I live out in the country, about 17 miles from town. I'd run down a country road if I had to, but I've made a Sat morning run part of my routine while I'm in town. I go to the farmers market, then make a couple of laps around one of the big parks then drive back home. I wish I lived in an area where I could step out my door and go, but I don't.

MarkR- I ended up running on the TM but only 3 instead of the planned 4. I couldn't let it be an unplanned rest day- I was drawn to follow my training plan so I can cross it off my list!

Today is a rest day and boy do I need it! My legs feel heavy and my back is achy but it feels like either an intercostal muscle is really tight or a rib is maladjusted. I did some light weights the other day so perhaps it's from that.

QOTD- I do both. If I don't need to start really early- I drive to the beach but its about 7 miles from me. I LOVE running at the beach (promenade and bike path), I never get tired of the scenery. If I need to run really early I start from my door because I don't feel completely safe running by myself at the beach. Sometimes I'll run on the TM at my neighborhood's clubhouse. They have couple decent TM and hardly anyone uses them. I don't really like running out on the street near my house because its near a big blvd and there are some rude drivers.

A few slow reps on my hill, then some time on the stationary bike today... nothing too heavy.

I also live in the country... A lot of room to run, but there are lots of rocks, loose gravel, the occasional rattlesnake... I do my hill runs from home, but for distance I usually go into town, where there's a nice path, and I can stop in to my favorite coffee shop afterwards (If I feel like I've earned it.) I'll probably start running some longer distance from home once I'm sure my leg strength has improved, but it seemed like the injury risk was too high for just getting going again. Plus, part of my best trail currently serving as home to a compost pile... gotta get that spread.

The weather was SO much better today, holy cow. 78 and partly cloudy...seriously perfect. So I got in 2.4 today in 29 minutes and it was 1000 times better than Tuesday even though the distance and pace were nearly identical. Amazing the difference 10 degrees makes!

QOTD - I generally run in my own neighborhood. The streets are asphalt and there are no sidewalks. There is almost no traffic and lots of big shade trees. However, it is really flat so if I want a change in terrain I will drive to a park, and I tend to do my Saturday long runs out at a large paved path on the edge of town.

A good brisk walk for me today. About 78F here, but that's warm compared to what we've been having.

I do most of my running on a university campus only a quarter mile from my home. Hardly any traffic to speak of, gently rolling hills, and some tree-lined lanes for scenery and shade. Most of my long runs are at VF NP, an adjoining local park, and nearby neighborhoods. If I get tired of the neighborhood, there's a township park a few miles away with paved trails and lot of runners and walkers.

I forgot to post yesterday, but I did get out for a 32 min run/walk (1 min/3 min) and felt great! Today, I rode my bike trainer and did some Pilates. I also worked on a farm with calves for the better part of the day in 90 degree heat, which was an interesting form of cross-training! I plan to go out for another run/walk tomorrow morning.

QOTD - I typically just go out the front door and around the neighborhood, since I run early in the morning. However, this weekend I plan to go to one of our really nice trails which requires a small drive.

Today is mini victory for me. Since I've been doing the C25K program, I have even making sure to do the whole workout without stopping before moving on, I ran W4D1 for the 4th time today. I finally did it! Hooray! And to top it off - it was a nice run, not too tired. I think my shoes are finally breaking in.

QOTD - I run on my treadmill so I don't go far. When I was in the just walking phase I would walk around our neighborhood but we live in a sketchy part of Honolulu and I am not comfortable running by myself.

Wtg everyone! Sounds like there were a lot of successes today. Funny how much good a day of rest does for the body.

I also had a great run today. I had 40 minutes allotted for my workout today. I took some advice to heart and increased my warmup by 2 minutes and scheduled a 5 minute cool down. I also felt like I had our veterans behind me reminding me to "slow down, save your steam for the end." What a difference those things made. I made it all the way through my 6 sets of 4:1 r/w without feeling like I was struggling. Hanging out here really does help!

One quick funny. I run through a park that has a 4` wide boardwalk around a pond. The other day I guess I spooked a mama duck and her dozen little yellow babies as I went by. She jumped out off the water, cut me off and I swear, she showed me her duck teeth. I shrieked like a sissy and tried to get around her without getting too close to her. She jumped back in the water and I RAN. Im sure it was quite the sight. So today I was trotting down the boardwalk keeping an eye out for mama duck. Guess who came out from under the deck hissing and squawking at me. I told her I wasn't going to hurt her babies and she stayed in the water. As a mama duck myself, I can understand...

Just got back from a 25 minute run. i am pretty sure I started out too fast today, which hindered me a little later in the run. Also, it was stressful for me today. My youngest daughter has recently been taken off her epilepsy medications, and is at high risk for seizure. Since starting to wean her off her medications, we have not been leaving her with her older sister on their own. Although I have complete faith that my eldest knows what to do if her sister is having a seizure, I really do not want to put her in the position to have to cope with that alone. So, today was the first time leaving them alone since having her off the meds. I had my cell phone, and ran only a short distance from home so that if I was called I could be back within a few minutes if needed. However, mentally it was quite difficult. Of course, all was well when I got home, and I am sure once I do it a few times, it will feel fine, so, in a sense, just getting out for a run was a victory, and a step towards normalcy that was needed.

Sorry for the long post, but for some reason typing it out helped me sort out my feelings and thoughts.

Wc runner.- I hope you got your well deserved rest. I would have never thought to utilize a university campus to run at. It sounds beautiful.

Melissa S.-- I can understand why you don't want to run around your track at work. I applaud you for running at lunch. I lunch tried a few times, but I do not seem to be able to turn off my working head, even when running. Also, if I am working from home I prefer to use my lunch to get housework or errands done, which leaves time for running later. If I am at the office, I value time to relax with my co-workers, although at times we will go for a walk.

finnatic. I am so envious of your ability to run on the beach. We are a long ways from one here. The beach is one of my favorite places.

Melissa L.-- Congrats on such a great run. So glad you enjoyed.

Bth Ann--congrats on your victory. it feels so awesome to reach a goal you have been struggling with.

Restart-- the occasional rattle snake? For real? There are no rattle snakes where I live. I know that this is a stupid question, but do they slither away from you if you cross paths?

Trail Lover-- gotta love those runs when you feel great! It keeps us excited for the next ones!

QOTD--I usually run in my own neighborhood. I do not make a plan as to where I am going to run. I just go. When I get home, my husband will ask where I ran. I cannot always tell him exactly where. We are lucky to lives in a very safe area, and I would eve feel comfortableat night by myself.

TaraP- Glad you were able to go out for a run even if it was stressful. I hope your little girl will adjust well without the sz meds without any sz. What a blessing that your older daughter is responsible enough to be able to handle the situation even though I know you don't want to put her in that role.

Restart- As TaraP asked if rattlesnakes slither away when you come across them, I'd like to know that answer too! I'm thinking of running at Arroyo Verde park (in Vta) but heard there's snakes occasionally. Yikes!

Better weather today. Went with my sister in law to the track and just ran laps. Took me back to my days in track. I did 4 miles. 1 lap easy, next lap hard, alternated twice then walked a lap. It was fun to be on the track again lol. Might have to make this a weekly thing

The few times I've come across a rattler while running (3, I think) they've been crossing the trail, and not coiled to strike. Nonetheless, I opted to go the other way. Generally, they prefer to avoid you. They're sluggish in cool temperatures, and prefer to hole up at the times we would most like to run, and may seek to get out of the sun when it's really hot. Late morning, with the temperature rising is a great time to come out an sun themselves. Finnatic, I haven't been on the trails at Arroyo Verde in years. I think you should be fine at typical running times of day and on the wider trails. I remember, there are a few side trails that are pretty narrow... it might be possible to come inside a snake's comfort zone before you see it, but then again you might be past it before it feels threatened enough to strike. A clear trail surface 8 - 10 feet while in snake country is probably a good idea.

Today is mini victory for me. Since I've been doing the C25K program, I have even making sure to do the whole workout without stopping before moving on, I ran W4D1 for the 4th time today. I finally did it! Hooray! And to top it off - it was a nice run, not too tired. I think my shoes are finally breaking in.

QOTD - I run on my treadmill so I don't go far. When I was in the just walking phase I would walk around our neighborhood but we live in a sketchy part of Honolulu and I am not comfortable running by myself.

Jennifer Van Allen

Special Projects Editor

Runner's World

RRCA & USATF-Certified Running Coach

Author of The Runner's World Big Book of Marathon and Half-Marathon Training

Great job ddrum84! There's no "Just" in ran laps. That takes a lot of persistence and discipline! While track is associated with speed, they actually offer a great flat, traffic-free (measured) terrain to get your run done. You can find out more here. And be sure to read this article about track basics.

Originally Posted by ddrum84:

Better weather today. Went with my sister in law to the track and just ran laps. Took me back to my days in track. I did 4 miles. 1 lap easy, next lap hard, alternated twice then walked a lap. It was fun to be on the track again lol. Might have to make this a weekly thing

Jennifer Van Allen

Special Projects Editor

Runner's World

RRCA & USATF-Certified Running Coach

Author of The Runner's World Big Book of Marathon and Half-Marathon Training

Tara: I am glad that you were able to get out for a run. I have no doubt that there's a link between starting out too fast - and the stress of what you're going through at home. I can't imagine how difficult that must be to cope with this, and I hope that the run brought some space and calm to the stressful situation. But make no mistake about it: when you're under stress, the effort it takes to run the same distance and pace feels harder. In this article we write about what kind of impact stress has on how you feel when you're on the road. Hope that the transition continues to go smoothly.

Originally Posted by Tara Payne:

Just got back from a 25 minute run. i am pretty sure I started out too fast today, which hindered me a little later in the run. Also, it was stressful for me today. My youngest daughter has recently been taken off her epilepsy medications, and is at high risk for seizure. Since starting to wean her off her medications, we have not been leaving her with her older sister on their own. Although I have complete faith that my eldest knows what to do if her sister is having a seizure, I really do not want to put her in the position to have to cope with that alone. So, today was the first time leaving them alone since having her off the meds. I had my cell phone, and ran only a short distance from home so that if I was called I could be back within a few minutes if needed. However, mentally it was quite difficult. Of course, all was well when I got home, and I am sure once I do it a few times, it will feel fine, so, in a sense, just getting out for a run was a victory, and a step towards normalcy that was needed.

Sorry for the long post, but for some reason typing it out helped me sort out my feelings and thoughts.

Wc runner.- I hope you got your well deserved rest. I would have never thought to utilize a university campus to run at. It sounds beautiful.

Melissa S.-- I can understand why you don't want to run around your track at work. I applaud you for running at lunch. I lunch tried a few times, but I do not seem to be able to turn off my working head, even when running. Also, if I am working from home I prefer to use my lunch to get housework or errands done, which leaves time for running later. If I am at the office, I value time to relax with my co-workers, although at times we will go for a walk.

finnatic. I am so envious of your ability to run on the beach. We are a long ways from one here. The beach is one of my favorite places.

Melissa L.-- Congrats on such a great run. So glad you enjoyed.

Bth Ann--congrats on your victory. it feels so awesome to reach a goal you have been struggling with.

Restart-- the occasional rattle snake? For real? There are no rattle snakes where I live. I know that this is a stupid question, but do they slither away from you if you cross paths?

Trail Lover-- gotta love those runs when you feel great! It keeps us excited for the next ones!

QOTD--I usually run in my own neighborhood. I do not make a plan as to where I am going to run. I just go. When I get home, my husband will ask where I ran. I cannot always tell him exactly where. We are lucky to lives in a very safe area, and I would eve feel comfortableat night by myself.

Jennifer Van Allen

Special Projects Editor

Runner's World

RRCA & USATF-Certified Running Coach

Author of The Runner's World Big Book of Marathon and Half-Marathon Training

I also find that this is really difficult. Even though we have places to work out nearby, I just have such a hard time pulling away from the desk and making it happen. It just feels tougher. On the other hand, the afternoon goes by so much faster when I've worked out midday! Gets the weekend off to a great start! Happy Friday everyone!

Jennifer Van Allen

Special Projects Editor

Runner's World

RRCA & USATF-Certified Running Coach

Author of The Runner's World Big Book of Marathon and Half-Marathon Training

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